


Sacrifice

by scruffandyarn



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Demons, F/M, Hell, Mythology - Freeform, but it's supernatural, i know it says major character death, scruff butchers mythology, so no one stays dead forever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2016-01-06
Packaged: 2018-05-12 05:59:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5654998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scruffandyarn/pseuds/scruffandyarn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Request from angelsxreader<br/>asked for a GabrielxReader fic using the song 'Take Me To Church' by Hozier, and I just could not, for the life of me, make it fluffy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sacrifice

~*~*~*~*~ 

_According to legend, a long, long time ago, in the land of Asgard, lived a boy.  Now, this was not just any boy.  Rather, he was the son of a god and goddess.  This boy lived with his mother and father in this magical land.  He grew up brave and strong.  When the boy was grown, he was said to be so beautiful and amazing that he actually gave off a glow.  He was loved by one and all._

_Well, all except one._

_When the boy began to have dreams of his death, his mother went to everything, great and small, and procured a promise that they would never harm her son.  From the birds that flew overhead, to the trees of the forest, everything promised to bring no harm to the boy._

_Well, all except one._

_The boy’s mother neglected to garner a vow from the mistletoe plant, believing it too small to ever be able to cause anyone problems.  When Loki learned of her oversight, he crafted a spear from the mistletoe plant.  He convinced a blind god to test the boy’s immortality.  For surely, nothing could harm him.  This god, not knowing what the spear was made of, threw it at the boy._

_The boy died._

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

It had taken you four months find all the ingredients to complete the summoning.  Four long months since Sam had given you the news of Gabriel’s death through a phone call.  Four months of waking up alone after sobbing yourself to sleep.  Four months of barely eating, your appetite having completely deserted you.  Four months of devoting yourself to researching exactly what you’d need to summon the goddess who might be your only means of getting back the angel you loved.

You watched the flame from the candle eat up the parchment in your hand.  When the heat began to lick at your fingers, you tossed the paper into the cauldron.

“______.”

“Kali.”

“Why have you summoned me, huntress?” One of the goddess’s perfectly arched eyebrows lifted.

“To right a wrong.” You were not going to be intimidated, at least, not on the outside.  Inside, you were terrified six ways to Sunday, but you refused to let it show.

“And what is your perceived wrong?” The corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk.

“You know the wrong I’m talking about, Kali.” The hunter in you hated to address her with reverence.  But that was only hurting your chances of getting her help.  You tried to keep from panicking at the thought of her refusing to do this.

“I’m afraid I don’t, human,” she folded her arms across her chest, a hint of humor in her eyes, “but feel free to enlighten me.”

Your pride would have to take a back seat if you ever wanted him back. “Loki.”

“Who?”

“Loki.  Trickster.  Whatever the hell you know him as.”

“Ah, you mean Gabriel.”

You couldn’t mask your look of shock quickly enough.

“What?  You think an archangel could hide his true identity from me?” She scoffed.  “You forget, ______, he was mine long before he was yours.”

“That’s great and all, but I don’t feel like going all ‘Jerry Springer’ here.” You tamped down your jealousy.  “Gabriel didn’t deserve to die.  I need your help getting him back.”

“What makes you think I’ll help you?”

“Because that’s what you do–right wrongs and shit.”  You paused.  “You can do this, right?”

“You misunderstand.  I am capable of completing this task.  What makes you think I will?”

Fuck.  “Kali, please.”  You searched your thoughts, frantically.  “I brought this to you because you’re the only one powerful enough to do this.”  Maybe playing to her ego would help persuade her.

“True.” Her smile unnerved you.  “What will you give me in exchange?”

“What do you want?”

“Retribution.”

“What?” Now it was your turn to cock an eyebrow.

She ignored your question.  “Is it a deal?”

Your hunter instincts screamed that this was a bad idea.  A horrible, awful, bad idea.  Only idiots made deals with supernatural creatures.

Still, you found yourself nodding.  You finally understood why Dean made that crossroads deal.  If it meant getting Gabriel back with you, what did it matter how you did it?

“I will just need a small sample of his blood.”

You began to reach for the tiny vial he’d given you to summon him in case you ever found yourself in serious trouble and he wasn’t with you.  He’d meant it to be used if you were in danger, but that didn’t matter anymore.  He wasn’t with you, and that was more than enough reason to use his blood.

Surprisingly, she waved you off.  She held out her palm and a smearing of red blossomed on her fingertips as she began to chant. The ground beneath your feet began to shake as her volume increased.  Her body began to glow and you could just make out the two extra arms, as well as her third eye.

A flash of light had you squeezing your eyes shut.  Then everything stopped.  The ground stopped shaking, the glow had vanished, and her chanting had faded out.  You opened your eyes to see Gabriel sprawled out on the ground, the outline of his wings charred onto the floor.  

You couldn’t breathe.

Until he bolted upright, gasping in a lungful of air.

Tears had been falling from your eyes, but you hadn’t realized it until you locked eyes with the archangel.  Seeing him looking completely confused and utterly adorable had you grinning.  Your grin was contagious, as he returned your smile, pushing himself up to his feet.  God, looking at him–he was sunshine and happiness and everything you’d missed these last four dark months.  It was as if your heart finally started beating again.

“I’ve missed you, so much.” It was the only thing you could think to say.

He pulled you to him, crushing his lips against yours.  He still tasted like chocolate.

“I’d say I missed you, too.” He pulled back. “But I’ve been dead.”  You immediately balled your fist and punched his shoulder.

“That is not funny,” you choked out, bunching the front of his shirt in your other hand.  “You left me alone.  I spent four–four months,” you started crying, “Do you–do you have any idea–I didn’t want to keep going.”

“______, don’t talk like that.” He cupped your face and wiped your tears away with his thumbs.

“______.”  Shit!  Kali was right behind you.

“We are done here, Kali.”  Gabriel pulled you so that he was standing between you and the goddess.

“I’m afraid not, Gabriel.”  Kali taunted.  “She must hold up her end of the bargain.”

“Bargain?”  Gabriel spun around to face you.  “You made a deal?”

“Yes.”  You nodded.  “And she did her part, so it’s time for me to do mine.”  You weren’t going to apologize.  You peered around Gabriel.  “What do you want me to do?”

“You don’t get to have her, Kali.”

“She made a deal.”

“Call it off.” Gabriel snapped.

“No!”  What the hell was he saying?  “If she calls it off, you’re dead.”

He grabbed your shoulders, as if trying to shake sense into you. “If this ends badly, you’re dead!”

“I can’t–I can’t do this without you, Gabriel!”

“What makes you think I want to do this without you, ______?”  His eyes were wide with fear and anger.

Kali ignored both of you.  “Baldur.  His soul rests with Hel.”

“You mean in hell, right?”

She rolled her eyes.  “With, you stupid human.  With.  You might know Hel as Death.”  She looked at Gabriel.  “Honestly, I do not know what you see in her.”

“End the deal now, Kali.”  Gabriel held up his hand.

“Or what?  You’ll destroy me?”  She laughed.  “I think you’ll find your powers have diminished immensely, Loki.”

He snapped his fingers.  Nothing happened.

“I was able to resurrect you, yes.  But not as an archangel.”  Her lips twisted as if she’d tasted something unpleasant.  “Not even I have the ability to give you your complete powers back.”

“Fuck!  What the fuck possessed you to make a deal?” Gabriel growled at you.  “How could you think I’m worth making a deal over?”

“How are you not worth making a deal over, Gabriel?”  

He’d been your life for almost two years.  You loved him with every fiber of your being.  Nothing was worth losing him.

You watched as a sense of wonder and amazement filled his eyes.  

He pressed a hard kiss to your lips.  “We do this together.”  He turned to face Kali.  “We’ll retrieve Baldur.”

“If you fail,” Kali directed her statement to you, “You belong to me.  You have 48 hours.”

***

You waited anxiously as Gabriel finished the summoning.  This could be it.  Once you got Death to release Baldur, you were in the clear.  Free to be with Gabriel forever.

“I do hope you have a reason for summoning me.”  A slender, pale man stood before you, dressed in a black suit, and staring at both you and Gabriel, rather crossly.  “Gabriel.”

“Um, yeah.”

Gabriel’s sudden nervousness caught you off-guard.  Still, you had a reason for summoning him.  “Death, uh…” you began.

“Wait your turn.” Death glared at you before turning his attention solely onto Gabriel.  “I ought to end you right now, for all the trouble you’ve caused me.  Although it does delight me to see that you’re not at full capacity.”

Oh shit.  Terror began to creep up your spine.

“Look, if this is about me pretending to be dead–”

“What else would I be upset with you about, boy?”  Death rolled his eyes.  “Would you kindly tell me why you’ve summoned me?  I have more important things to do with my time than to waste it on a protozoan and an infantile angel.”

“Um, sir–we are here on behalf of Kali.”  You tried to sound more confident than you felt, but even you could hear the fear in your voice.  This wasn’t just some random monster–this was Death-capital D and all.  “She’s requested that we retrieve Baldur from you.”

“And why isn’t she here, asking me herself?”  Death cocked an eyebrow.

“I–uh–I don’t know, sir.”

Death turned back to Gabriel.  “Just like old times, Loki.  This is the second time someone has asked me to turn over that arrogant little worm to them.  Although, I must admit, I’m surprised that you’re the one asking for him.  If I recall, you were the reason I had him last time.”

“What?”  You looked at Gabriel who only shrugged helplessly.  “Look, uh, sir–not to be rude or anything–”

“A bit late for that.”

“We just need Baldur.”

“And why should I just hand over Baldur to you?”

“I–uh–shit.  I don’t know.”

Death sighed as if just speaking to you was taxing on him.  “Bring me mistletoe and I will release Baldur.”

“Seriously?  Just mistletoe?  That’ll be ea–”

“Bring me the mistletoe that once pierced Baldur and sent him to me the first time.”

“How the hell are we supposed to do that?” Gabriel snapped.  “It’s not like the mistletoe was preserved or anything.”

“Why must they always be so petulant?” Death shook his head, annoyed.  “Frigg kept the mistletoe that took her son from her.  Bring me that mistletoe and I will give you Baldur.”  

And just like that, Death was gone.

“There has to be another way!”  Gabriel shouted at the empty space Death had occupied.  “Shit, ______.” He turned to you, his face ashen.  “There’s no way she’s going to give that up to me.”

Your tried to reign in your thoughts.  This was it.  You’d failed before you even got started.  You were going to die.  But, at least you’d gotten Gabriel back for a little while.  Maybe that could be enough.

Gabriel grabbed you by the shoulders.  “I am not letting you die, do you understand me?”

“How?”  You felt tears sliding down your face.  Who were you kidding?  Forever would never be enough with Gabriel.  “Gabriel, I–”

“You!  She’ll give it to you!” He sounded near hysterical.  “I’ll take you to Frigg and she’ll give you the mistletoe.”

“Please, Gabriel, don’t–”

“No!” The venom in his voice startled you.  “Look, I’m still Loki–sort of.  I’ll take you to Frigg as Idun, and she’ll give you the mistletoe.”

“What?”

“Just trust me.”  He kissed you, his desperation pouring out through his embrace.  “I’m not letting Kali have you.”

Deep in your heart, you knew he was grasping at straws.  Still, you found yourself nodding.  “OK.”

***

Gabriel had given you a crash course in Norse gods and goddesses.  Apparently, during his time as Loki, he’d already killed Baldur once.  Or, rather, he’d tricked another god to kill him with mistletoe.  It was all a big mess.  And he was going to have you masquerading as some goddess he’d kidnapped after he’d tricked her into some marriage and…yeah.  None of it made much sense, but you figured it didn’t have to.

Still, nothing could have prepared you for the grandiose setting you found yourself in.   Asgard was indescribable.

“Loki.”

Something about how she said his name made you want to run.  She’d know this was all a ruse and she’d kill you before you could even speak.

“Frigg.”  There was definitely no love lost between the two of them.

“And this, Idun, of what business do you have with this trickster?”  

Holy shit.  Gabriel had told you he could have Frigg believing you were this goddess, but you’d been skeptical.  How in the world had he managed this?

You bowed your head, just as Gabriel had told you to do.  “I have come with news–your son, Baldur, has fallen to Hel once more.”

“You have taken my son from me again?”  The woman’s entire body began to glow.  Shit–she was going to kill both of you.

“Actually, Frigg, it was Lucifer who took Baldur from you this time.”  You bit your lip to keep it from trembling.  Where the hell had your brave hunter-side gone?

“Lucifer–the angel?”

“Cutting to the chase, Frigg–we have a way to get Baldur back.  We just need the mistletoe he was stabbed with the first time around.”  Gabriel stepped in, saving you from having to get all that out.

“Mistletoe?  The mistletoe you so painstakingly carved into a spear to end my son’s life–that mistletoe?”

“Hel gave us his word that he will deliver Baldur the moment we have given him that particular bit of mistletoe.”  You needed to suck it up and put your game face on.  Lives were at stake–namely, your own, and possibly Gabriel’s.  “So, we have come for it.”

“Why?”

“To bring your son back?”  What part of this was she not getting.

“Why are you so interested in bringing my son back, human?”

Fuck.  Fucking fuck.  You glanced at Gabriel in fear before turning back to the goddess.  “Look, your majesty–I’m just here because I want to fix this.  Baldur shouldn’t be dead, but neither should Gabriel, and I’m just trying to make it so everyone is OK.”  *Please don’t let her kill me*

The goddess snapped her fingers and a deadly looking spear, covered in mistletoe, now rested in your hands.

“You will take this, and you will retrieve my son, and neither of you will set foot in Asgard again.”

“Frigg–” Gabriel’s voice was gone.  How–?

“If either of you step into Asgard, I will find you.  And I will kill you.  Do you understand?”

You nodded.  Gabriel glared daggers at the woman.

“Are you aware of my powers, human?”

“You can see everyone’s destiny.”  And rob Gabriel of his voice.

“You have informed her well, Loki.”  There was still disdain in her voice.  “I never reveal destinies, but I will tell you this.” She looked on you with a sort of pity.  “Beware of your connection with this trickster.  He has been the downfall of many, and he will be yours as well.”

“What the–”

In the next instant, you were back inside the warehouse where you’d originally summoned Kali.

“–fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“We will get this all straightened out, ______.  I promise.”  Gabriel had his voice back.  He took the spear from your hands and set it aside.  “I’m not letting anything happen to you.” He pulled you into his arms. “Even if I have to bind Death, myself.”

“I do hope it won’t come to that.”  Death appeared before you, causing you to jump.

Seriously, why couldn’t anyone announce they were coming?

“And what would the fun in that be?”  Death sighed.  “I’m afraid I cannot accept this mistletoe.”

“What?”  You looked over in horror.  “But we went to Asgard and Frigg gave it to me!”

Death turned to Gabriel, the spear in his hands.  “I’m surprised you don’t recognize that this isn’t your handiwork.”

Gabriel took the spear from Death and examined it.  “Shit!”  And he disappeared.  A second later, he was back.  “I can’t–I can’t get in.”  He looked you in the eye and you finally noticed the hope that had been there since he’d first re-awoken had started to die out.

“Since you have nothing for me, I will be keeping Baldur.”  Death was gone again.

“I’ll talk to Kali again,” Gabriel reasoned quickly, trying to come up with any possible way to save you.  “You tried.  That has to count for something.”

“Gabriel,” you bit your lip, willing your poker-face to stay intact.  “Maybe it’s time we face facts.  We failed.”  Your strong facade began to break and your bottom lip began to tremble.

“NO!”  This time, he actually did shake you.  “I’m not losing you.  Do you understand that?  I can’t do this without you.”

“Sweetheart,” you were crying again as you reached up and cupped his face in your hand.  “You did this without me for eons.  One little blip in time isn’t going to make that huge of a difference.”

He took your hand from his face and placed it against his chest.  “Do you feel this?  This thing beats because of you, for you.  I love you, ______.  Kali isn’t taking you from me.”

“That was almost beautiful.”  Both you and Gabriel jumped at the sound of Kali’s voice.  “And yes, I must commend you for trying.  However, the deal was for Baldur, not for effort.”  She raised her hand towards you.

“Kali, don’t do this.  Please.”  Gabriel stepped between you and Kali.

You felt a sudden stab of pain in your stomach and you doubled over.  Fuck, nothing had ever hurt this bad.  It was as if a fire had started in your gut and was trying to burn you, from the inside, out.

“______!” Gabriel was at your side, holding you.  “Stop it, now!”  He turned his attention completely to you.  “______, I–”

“I suppose you’re wondering how it is that I came to be in possession of the archangel’s blood.” Kali’s voice had both you and Gabriel turning your attention to her.  

It took a moment for your brain to stop focusing on your pain and to register what she was saying.  Yeah, it had been curious that she hadn’t needed Gabriel’s blood from you. But that hadn’t exactly crossed your mind since he’d been back.  Why was she bringing this up now?

“As he was with me shortly before he met his demise, I felt it would be wise–as one never knows when they’ll need an archangel’s blood.”

“Kali–” Gabriel began.

“With?” you coughed out and blood spilled from your lips.  

“______, baby–”

“I believe you asked me to go to Pandora with you, right, Gabriel?”

You watched as the angel paled, confirming everything Kali was saying.

You closed your eyes, not wanting to see anymore.  Wasn’t it enough that she was killing you?  Did she have to break your heart as well?

Gabriel had told you about his previous relationship with the beautiful goddess.  He’d said he had once believed he’d been in love with her.  Of course, he’d also said that he’d been wrong, that what he’d felt for you made him realize he’d never actually been in love with Kali.

But he’d been with her just before he’d died.  He’d told you he had to go help rescue Sam and Dean.  But instead, he’d been with Kali.  She’d gotten some of his blood.  And he’d offered to whisk her away to Pandora instead of trying to save humanity like he’d promised you he would.

“I–” You felt a dull ache in your head, accompanying the unbearable pain in your stomach, just before several images popped into your mind.  Kali wearing practically nothing. Gabriel holding a red rose. A heated embrace. Gabriel helping Kali to her feet while shielding her from Lucifer’s wrath, archangel blade at the ready.  Your fingers went to your temple, unsure of which part of you was hurting worse.

“Sweetheart, listen, whatever she’s showing you–.” Gabriel took your hand in his and it took everything in you not to jerk back from his touch.

“I, um–I think I should…”  You pulled free of his grasp and backed away.  

You didn’t make it very far before you collapsed from the pain.  How could everything hurt so completely?  Gabriel had led you to believe your love for him was reciprocated.  And here you were, dying because of it.

“______, please!” Gabriel pulled you into his arms, cradling you to him.  You closed your eyes, unable to look at him without feeling your heart break even more.  “Please, sweetheart–I needed to get back Sam and Dean’s blood.  She bound them to her and Lucifer was coming.  I was trying to save them.”

“Gabriel, really, it’s OK.” Actually, it was anything but OK.  You opened your eyes, but kept your gaze from landing on his face.  “If you lo–if–,” you sucked in a deep breath even as another wave of pain washed over you. “If you’re in love with her, she’s the one you need to be with.”  Your own words cut at you.

“Do you really think you weren’t the only thing I was thinking of while I was staring my brother down?” He reached out and lifted your chin with his fingers.  The look of panic on his face was breaking your heart all over again.  “Dean may have been the one who called me out on being afraid to stand up to my brothers, but you–you are the one who gave me a reason to believe I could stand up to them.”

“Gabriel–”  An incredible weight had set itself on your chest, making it impossible to draw in another breath.

“Don’t you fucking die on me, ______.  You fight whatever she’s doing to you.”  He tore his gaze away from you to glare at Kali.  “Please, Kali–take me, don’t do this.  Take me instead, please!”  

“I’m sorry, Gabriel, but a deal is a deal.”  She closed her fist.

You were able to take in one more gulp of air, and then everything got dark, fast.  The last thing you saw was Gabriel, tears flowing freely, screaming at you to wake up.

***

Kali disappeared as soon as the last bit of life left your body.

Gabriel clung to you, calling on any power he had left to try and revive you, but to no avail.  You were gone.

Blinded by rage and guilt and a slew of other emotions he didn’t have a name for, Gabriel took off for Heaven.  He no longer had the power of an archangel, but he wasn’t about to let that keep him from you.

***

“Gabriel, you are alive?”  Hannah was the first of his angelic siblings to greet him as he began his frantic search.  “But you died!”

“Where is she?”

“Where is who, brother?  And why do you no longer have the possession of your angelic powers?”

“______!  Where is her heaven?”  He didn’t have time for dealing with anything other than finding you.

“I–I do not know.” Hannah was puzzled and a bit taken aback by Gabriel’s behavior.  “Perhaps it is written–”

“She’s new.  Not even an hour, Earth-time.  Where would I find her?”

“There’s an infinite number of places she could be.”

Growling, he took off, desperate to find you.  You had just sacrificed your life to save him–something no one else had ever done for him before.  You had given him a home free of judgement and had given him love without expectation.  This was the kind of love his Father had wanted for all his creations.  There was no way he was letting something as simple as death keep him from having it–from being with you.

***

Finally, Gabriel made it through the entirety of Heaven.  He’d never done that before, and found himself getting weary with every passing moment that he couldn’t find you.  He wasn’t even sure how long it had been, on Earth, since you’d died in his arms.  But still, he couldn’t locate you.

***

“Alright, Death,” Gabriel finished the summoning and waited for the old man to appear.

“You are looking ghastly,” Death said as he manifested in the room with Gabriel.

Gabriel could admit, even he thought he’d looked better.  The search had taken its toll on him and his vessel had aged with each new heaven he encountered that wasn’t yours.  Instead of the vibrant archangel he’d once been, his eyes had bags under them, his frame had shrunken, and his skin had become so pale.  But that didn’t matter now.

“Where is she?”

“Where is who?”  Death absently picked at his nails.

“______, you bastard.  Where is she?”  He grabbed Death by the lapels of his coat.

Death simply rolled his eyes and brushed Gabriel off of him.  “I believe you will find her in Hell.”

“What?”  If it was possible, Gabriel paled further.  “No–there’s no way she’d wind up in Hell.  She didn’t make a deal with a demon, she made it with Kali!”

“You, more than most, know it’s always a bad idea to make a deal with anything supernatural.”  Death’s lips twitched.  “Pity you didn’t pass that information on to her.”

Before Death had the chance to disappear, Gabriel, in hysterics, grabbed him once more.  “You don’t understand.  She died for me.  No one has ever loved me enough to do that.  I can’t just let her stay in Hell.”

“There’s nothing I can do about that.”

“Then–then let’s trade.  Let me give you _my_ life.  My soul for hers.”  He couldn’t leave you down there.  Just the thought of you being there felt like a vice-grip on his heart.

“You don’t have a soul.”

“Then my grace.  Please, anything.  Anything I have is yours.  Just–just give her back to me, please.”

“I’m in deliveries.  Not returns.”  Death brushed him off once more.  “If you want her back, you’ll have to retrieve her yourself.”

“But I can’t–”

Death vanished.

“–do that anymore!”  

In anger, Gabriel punched the wall closest to him.  As expected, he didn’t feel it, but he wished he could.  Maybe it would detract even a fraction of how awful he felt.

You’d given up your life for him.  You’d given up your life and your place in Heaven to save him.  He still struggled to wrap his brain around that.  How could anyone find him worthy of such a sacrifice?  Even when he’d died on the floor of that hotel conference room, he’d done it to save humankind.  Yes, you’d been on his mind and in his heart when that angel blade had pierced him. But what, exactly, had he done to deserve your selflessness?

***

Gabriel struggled with every bit of his being not to be consumed by the darkness that surrounded him.  The wrongness of what he was doing clung to him like a second skin–angels didn’t belong in Hell.  But then again, neither did you.

“There is an angel among demons.” One of the demons sneered at him before lashing out with a dagger.

In a matter of moments, Gabriel had the demon pinned and shoved its own blade through its skull.  “Where is ______?” he bellowed at the demons surrounding him.

Instead of answering, the demons began to move towards him, drawing closer and closer, weapons at the ready.

With a bright flare of grace, Gabriel decimated the majority of the group.  Gabriel cornered the remaining few.  “Where is she?”

“She is one of us.  We will not lose another.”  The demons gnashed their teeth at him.  “We will bury you, angel.”

Gabriel screamed out in anger before dropping his angel blade from his sleeve and slaying the demons he’d cornered.

***

He lost track of time and of the number of demons he killed trying to find you.  The despair seeped into his lungs, tore at his wings, ate at his grace.  There was no hope left to give of finding you.  Still, he kept up the search.  It was as if Hell had reprogrammed him, and all he knew how to do was look for you.

It wasn’t until he felt a pull on the last shreds of grace that he realized he’d found you.  Your soul was dark, nasty with hate and vile, but somehow, he was able to recognize you.

“______!”

“Angel.” You hissed, drawing a weapon.  Dark thoughts flooded through you and you longed to sink your blade into the angel.  Wanted to feel his blood running through your fingertips.  Wanted to watch the grace burn out of him when you twisted your knife deeper.

“I found you.”

“Congratulations.”  You swung out, catching him off guard and slicing into his forearm.

“What the hell?”  He jerked back, cradling his injured arm.  “______, I’m here to take you home.”

“You overestimate me, angel.  I am home.”  How dare this creature presume anything about you?  You swung again, but he dodged you.

“______, please.  Let me get you out of here.”  He reached for you and you took advantage of his movements, striking him in the shoulder.  “Fuck!”

“You do not belong here.”

“Neither do you.”  This time, he was quicker than you, and two fingers were pressed to your forehead.

Nothing happened.

“You’re too late, angel.  Whatever was left of my soul has long-since burned out.”  His expression fueled your desire to hurt him.  You lashed out, bringing your blade down against his wing.

The sound Gabriel released shook all the way down to the remaining pieces of you still left.  The complete anguish that ripped from him began to mend you.  For the first time in what felt like ages, it was like you were able to open your eyes after years of sleeping.

“Gabriel?”  Your weapon clattered to the ground.  “Oh my god, Gabriel!”  You were both overjoyed and mortified to see what you’d done to your angel.

“______?” He gritted his teeth in pain, but you could still see the faint traces of relief at the corners of his mouth.  

“Oh, Gabriel.”  You could feel your soul begin to put yourself back together again.  You started crying as you took in the bloody and broken angel in front of you.  “How did you get here?”

He shrugged the shoulder you hadn’t stabbed.  “Couldn’t just leave you here.”

You wanted to take him into your arms and offer him any sort of comfort.  He’d come all this way, just for you.  He loved you that much–to travel through the depths of Hell to find you.

But now was not the time for love and comfort.  The darkness that had encompassed you for years crept up around you and the angel.  “You shouldn’t have come, Gabriel.”  You wiped your eyes and picked up your blade.  “It already had me.  Now it will get you as well.” You took your stance, ready to hold it at bay so Gabriel could make his escape.  “Go, before it’s too late for you.”

His angel blade dropped to his hand and he gingerly took your free hand in his wounded one.  “If it takes you, then it will take me as well.”

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

 

_According to legend, not so long ago, a lost soul and an angel descended into Hell.  They arrived separately–the story goes that she gave her life for him and, overcome with grief, he followed.  Somehow, they found each other among the brimstone and fire._

_And while the two of them remain in that pit of darkness and destruction, it is together that they find the life they were looking for._

_~*~*~*~*~_

 


End file.
